With the large increase in demand for telecommunications capacity, there is an increasing need for greater density and capacity in all areas of telecommunications, including signal transmission, connections or cross-connections, and terminations. The better utilization of a given amount of space in telecommunications facilities is becoming more and more important.
In many facilities there are bays or racks in which different types of cabinets and other equipment are mounted. Generally a telecommunication fiber optic cable distribution bay or panel is located in the central office of a telephone system or at a remote location near a customer's premises. The purpose of the distribution bay, panel and/or cabinet is to provide termination, cross-connect, splice, patch and storage interface between fiber-optic cables that lead to user installations.
These bays typically include multiple cabinets and/or trays that have fiber-optic splice cable storage, splice, cross connection and/or patching functions or features. Normally the trays are maintained in the retracted storage position during normal operations and are pulled or moved outward in an extended position when access is desired for installation, repair, monitoring, patching, maintenance or reconnecting.
Because of the very delicate and exacting nature of optical fibers, it is important that the individual fibers not be overly bent, or unduly stressed, in the distribution system, otherwise the transmission effectiveness and efficiency may be compromised. Consequently, consideration must be given in the design, construction and operation of the trays so that the fiber-optic cables are not subjected to compromising bends or stresses.
An example of a prior telecommunication fiber-optic cable distribution apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,379, owned by Telect, Inc., which is hereby incorporated by this reference.
In certain instances it is desirable to isolate and easily access one circuit at a time, such as when connecting different fiber optic cables to the adapters. One circuit typically would include two fiber optic adapters.
While it is desirable to maximize the density or number of fiber optic cables which are patched or cross-connected in any given tray, this must be balanced by the ability or ease of access by the operator to individual cables or circuits and the protection of the fiber optic cables, including maintaining minimum bend radius.
In the management of fiber optic cables, it is important to maintain a minimum bend radius to protect the fiber optic cables. Two typical minimum bend radii for example are one and one-half inches, or thirty millimeters (30 mm).
It is an object of this invention to provide a fiber optic connector, patch or cross-connect framework or bulkhead which allows more fiber optic connectors to be mounted in the same area, but which are also easily accessible in a desirable way by the operator.